Love Island USA Cierra Ortega Hits Again After Racism Scandal

After apologizing for utilizing an “extremely offensive” racist slur that resurfaced throughout her time on Love Island USA, Cierra Ortega addressed on-line criticism as soon as once more.

Taking to her Instagram Tales on Sunday, July 13, the truth TV star pointed a message in direction of one group particularly. “For many who want hurt on me, I carry nothing however love in my coronary heart,” the controversial Islander started. “What must be a collective alternative to handle derogatory language and the hurt they carry, has as a substitute snowballed into an excuse for cruelty.”

Cierra’s reflection, posted the identical night time Love Island USA season seven got here to an finish, continued, “Nonetheless, I refuse to let distress discover firm right here. I’ll preserve residing with love , presence, and gratitude. Particularly within the painful moments, as a result of they, too, form who we’re.”

The put up was accompanied by a photograph of Cierra, who left the sequence through the July 6 episode when narrator Iain Stirling confirmed that she left the villa “because of a private state of affairs,” taken from behind that captured her waving her arms within the air.

It continued, “I’ve each perception that every one this vitality might be alchemized into one thing with actual influence. If even a fraction of it was used to uplift the group immediately impacted — to proceed amplifying Asian voices & their therapeutic — think about how a lot additional we may very well be as a collective.”

The put up concluded, “Be variety to anyone immediately. And tomorrow. And on daily basis after that. Love will all the time go additional.” Cierra additionally left a pink coronary heart emoji, wrapped in a bandage, on the finish of the message.

A 2024 racist put up from Cierra’s social media resurfaced whereas she was filming Love Island USA in Fiji. About 48 hours after her exit from the present, Cierra addressed the put up in a July 9 Instagram video. “Whereas I used to be within the villa, there have been some posts that resurfaced from my previous the place I used to be very naively utilizing an extremely offensive and derogatory time period,” she mentioned on the time. “I need to first begin by addressing not simply anybody that I’ve damage or deeply offended — however most significantly — the whole Asian group. I’m deeply, actually, truthfully, so sorry.”

She additionally mentioned she didn’t know that what she mentioned was racially offensive. “I had no concept that the phrase held as a lot ache, as a lot hurt and got here with the historical past that it did or I by no means would have used it,” she mentioned within the video. “I had no ailing intention once I was utilizing it however that’s completely no excuse as a result of intent doesn’t excuse ignorance. 
It simply doesn’t.”

The video detailed how Cierra acquired a message from a follower who known as the slur “extremely hurtful,” alerting her to the influence of her phrases. “At that second, I used to be embarrassed. I — after all — instantly deleted the put up,” she defined. “I used to be apologetic and I educated not solely myself on the true which means and the historical past of the phrase but in addition anybody round me who was unintentionally a holding area for this slur.”

The apology video continued, “My expertise within the villa was nothing wanting magical. The reminiscences I made and the folks I met are ones I’ll cherish ceaselessly. Whereas I’m heartbroken my journey needed to be reduce quick, I perceive that errors, particularly ones like this, deserve penalties. As soon as once more, to the Asian group, I’m deeply sorry for my inconsiderate mistake and the hurt it prompted.”